Business Connect Magazine - June/July 2023

June/July 2023

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The future is already here

AI has become the ‘go to’ tech for any forward looking business or organisation. Business Connect interviews ChatGPT, and brings you a series of articles and insights from many different viewpoints on the technology, motivations and future of artificial intelligence.

Exporting: Opportunities from a UK-India Free Trade Agreement

Editorial from Tony Goodman MBE offering analysis of the FTA.

Construction: Latest news

Reports on the UK Construction and Property sector.

SMEs: Small Business Sunday

Theo Paphitis partners with NatWest to host Small Business Sunday roundtable - participant winners announced.

IT: Protecting your practice

Specialist IT service company Nybble takes a look at IT support for the accountancy industry.

Chamber: News from GMCC and Liverpool

All the latest from Greater Manchester and Liverpool Chambers of Commerce.

CONNECTING BUSINESSES ACROSS THE UK AND BEYOND

www.BusinessConnectMagazine.co.uk

NewUA92-Trafford’sLookUniversity

#Connectworking

4 : NEWS

From across the UK and beyond.

8 - 9 : CONSTRUCTION

News from across the sector.

10 : AI - Interview

Interview with ChatGTP

12 : AI - Wellbeing

How do you feel about AI?

Editorial from Susan Leigh.

13 : AI - Utilisation

The power of ChatGTP

Review of the app by IT specialists

Nybble.

14 : AI - News

£100m funding for AI taskforce

Report on new government investment.

15 : AI - Customer Service

The benefits and risks

Article about using ChatGTP in customer service.

16 : AI - GDPR Confidentiality concerns

Tips on remaining compliant when interacting with an AI.

17 : AI - Branding

Business and personal brands

Guidance on the AI future impact on business and personal branding.

18 : AI - News

UK hosts inaugural AUKUS AI trial Report on joint military AI applications.

19 : AI - Hospitality

How AI is shaping hospitality

Review by Klicksense.

20 : DTX +UCX Manchester

Feature on the recenttwo day expo.

21 : GMCC NEWS

News from Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

22 : EXPORTING

Feature on UK-India Free Trade

Agreement by Tony Goodman MBE.

25 : LIVERPOOL CHAMBER NEWS

News from Liverpool Chamber of Commerce

26 : OUT & ABOUT

Networking across the region and beyond.

27 : PROTECTING YOUR PRACTICE

IT services for accountancies with Nybble

28 : STAFF RETENTION

9 part plan for business to support employees.

29 : DIARY DATES

List of business networking events.

30 : PLACES TO MEET

List of venues supporting business requirements.

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DISCLAIMER

Whilst we have taken all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained within this magazine, we give no warranty and make no representation regarding the accuracy or the completeness of the content of this information. Consequently we accept no liability for any losses or damage (whether direct, indirect, special, consequential or otherwise) arising out of errors or omissions contained in this magazine. Views expressed in Business Connect Magazine in editorial or advertising content are not necessarily those of it’s publisher Business Connect Publishing Limited. The publisher cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies supplied to us in

news

Supply chains under strain as road transport prices reach April record

3.6% haulage price rise pushes overall prices up, even with diesel costs falling

The latest data from the TEG Road Transport Price Index has revealed that haulage and courier prices increased slightly from March to April. With haulage prices up 3.6% and courier prices up 2%, this follows the pattern of the last four years, except for the immediate aftermath of Covid-19. Year-on-year, haulage prices are actually 2% down, but courier prices are 3.6% higher, leaving the overall index slightly up on its April 2022 level. In the face of stubborn inflation, driver shortages and supply chain troubles, it seems falling diesel costs haven’t been enough to keep prices down. Recent analysis revealed that the UK economy is losing £12 billion a year to supply chain issues. When supply chain costs spiral, they affect

businesses’ bottom lines, which is often reflected in price rises being passed onto customers. For example, even though haulage prices are 2% down, year-on-year, hauliers are having to charge 11% more than they did four years ago.

Businesses can lessen the impact of supply chain issues through integrated digitisation. With a quarter of the UK’s trucks running empty, digitisation can help hauliers looking to share truck space and create efficiencies.

Lyall Cresswell, CEO of Integra, says: “Falling diesel prices is very welcome news for the industry. It reduces a dayto-day expense for everyone, making every mile cheaper.

“But it’s clear that there are more permanent problems prices. One of those is the driver shortage, so it’s encouraging to see the government acting on this.”

Dates for your 2023 Diary!

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Thurs 6 July 10.30am - 3.00pm AJ Bell Stadium, M30 7EY manchesterbizfair.co.uk

Theo Paphitis partners with NatWest to host Small Business Sunday roundtable

Theo Paphitis

Theo Paphitis, #SBS creator, wellknown retail entrepreneur and TV Dragon said: “This event is a fantastic opportunity for #SBS small business owners to come together and get under the bonnet of small business, sharing their experiences so that they can learn from each other and navigate the choppy waters we are currently facing.

FAIR

Theo Paphitis, creator of one of the UK’s leading small business initiatives, #SBS Small Business Sunday and Chairman/Owner of Ryman, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue has teamed up with long-standing partner NatWest to host a roundtable event in London due to take place at the end of June. This unique opportunity, which will be hosted by Coutts - part of the NatWest Group - at its headquarters in London, will give six small business #SBS award winners the chance to have lunch with leading entrepreneur Theo Paphitis, key members of his team and NatWest, to discuss some of the pressing issues facing small businesses.

The winners have just been announced:

Susan Bonnar (The British Craft House) twitter.com/BritishCrafting

Chris Warbrick (Exceed Events) twitter.com/exceed_events

Sanjay Aggarwal (Spice Kitchen) twitter.com/SpiceKitchenUK

Eleanor Tweddell (Another Door) twitter.com/anotherdooruk

Keisha Shah (Teddo Play) twitter.com/TeddoPlay

Nadia Leguel (Wagit.UK) instagram.com/wagit.uk/

The aim is to look ahead to the challenges and opportunities that small businesses face, and to develop strategies to overcome them. A report will be created from the content and issues shared on the day, to help inform the small business community.

“Small businesses are the lifeline of the UK economy and that’s why it’s so important to give them a voice, and I’m delighted that #SBS is increasingly the platform for them to do that. We look forward to sharing the report later this year.”

Debbie Lewis, Regional EcoSystems Manager, at NatWest, said: “I am extremely proud that we are able to continue our partnership with #SBS by hosting the national roundtable event at the Coutts headquarters in London, which will see like-minded entrepreneurs come together for an unmatchable experience with Theo Paphitis.

“This collaboration truly exemplifies our unwavering commitment to support businesses, providing them with invaluable opportunities for growth, and we look forward to working with #SBS Small Business Sunday to continue to champion the entrepreneurial journey, supporting aspiring individuals as they transform their visions into reality.”

The #SBS State of the Nation report will be created off the back of the working lunch session to share findings, expert advice and trends that small businesses and small business stakeholders are finding in the current economic climate.

The report will provide insights into the discussions and key takeaways from the event and will impart small business owners with practical insights and recommendations that they can incorporate to improve their business operations and navigate the challenges of the current business environment.

The roundtable event is open exclusively to 3,750 small business owners who have won the #SBS Small Business Sunday award.

EG Group agrees the sale of the majority of its UK and Ireland business to ASDA

UK businesses vulnerable due to skills shortage, says IoD survey

The IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leader optimism in prospects for the UK economy, stabilised at -6 in May 2023, little changed from the previous month’s value of -5 and ending a five-month climb from a low of -64 in November 2022.

The current reading is a broadly neutral-to-negative stance, with 39% of IoD members feeling pessimistic about prospects for the UK economy in the year ahead compared to 33% feeling optimistic over the same time horizon.

confidence remaining lukewarm and the skills shortage continuing to hamper growth, it’s time to start a serious conversation about the need to give companies the investment and support needed to expand their skillset.

EG Group has announced an agreement to sell to Asda the majority of its UK and Ireland fuel, foodservice, grocery and merchandise business for an enterprise value of £2.27bn ($2.8bn).

This transaction is a transformational step for the Group and strengthens its platform to further invest in its proven and successful strategy to rollout foodservice, grocery and merchandise to create multi-purpose convenience retail sites across its estate. The Group will also accelerate its strategy to deploy emerging fuels and EV chargers, under its proprietary brand, evpoint, across the existing site network, as well as third-party locations.

The proceeds, together with the net

proceeds of $1.4bn from the recent sale and lease back transaction in the US, will be used to repay debt and the Group’s net leverage will fall to below 5 times, in line with the recently announced financial policy and deleveraging strategy. The Group remains committed to achieving a net leverage multiple of mid 4 times in the near term.

EG Group will continue to operate in the USA, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium, whilst also retaining 30 UK sites – including the first Euro Garages site in Bury – which are close to the Group headquarters and frequently used to trial innovation. The Cooplands bakery business and certain other foodservice brands will also be retained.

When asked about current pain points for their organisation, the most common concerns were UK economic conditions (52%), skills shortages/ employee skills gaps (46%) and the cost of energy (45%). These were the same top three concerns as the last time that question was asked in February 2023.

The index of director confidence in future prospects for their own organisations rose to +44 in May, up from +42 in April. 55% expected revenues to rise in the next year, compared to 19% who expected revenues to fall, giving a net positive result of +36, similar to the +37 recorded in April.

Responding to the data, Steven Mooney, Founder and CEO of FundMyPitch said: “With business

“For many ambitious organisations, whether that by startups or high potential SMEs, dedicated funding remains elusive, and this has a detrimental impact on economic growth. Culturally and operationally, the UK needs to think again about the importance of turbocharging the next generation of entrepreneurs with dedicated funding, something which is a given in markets like the US.”

Meanwhile Suid Adeyanji, CEO of RiverSafe, said: “Recruiting and upskilling staff with digital skills and security expertise remains a top priority for businesses who cannot afford to compromise in key areas such as cyber skills.”

Studio Retail separates its financial services division with expansion and growth planned for both companies

The UK Industries seeing the smallest increase in wages

Financial and Insurance Activities has seen the smallest increase in wages, with wages actually dropping by nearly 6% in the last year

last five years.

Studio Retail has announced that it will officially separate its Retail and Financial Services business, with an expansion plan in place to help unlock the potential of both businesses.

The group’s Financial Services business will be known as Frasers Group Financial Services Limited (FGFSL) and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). As the name suggests, through its formation FGFSL takes on a broader role by providing financial services across the wider Frasers Group as well

as Studio, unlocking great potential for growth. The team will continue to be housed in Clayton le Moors.

Studio Retail Trading Limited (SRTL) is the new legal entity for the Studio Retail business. Although now distinctly separate businesses, the relationship between SRTL and FGFSL will continue and they remain inter-related to deliver the best outcomes for customers with economies of scale. Given the expansion plans for FGFS, there is a plan to recruit in excess of 100 roles to fulfil the extra demand created.

In a study by UK financial services provider CMC Markets, figures released from the Office for National Statistics, featuring results from their Wages and Salaries Survey since January 2000, were analysed. It found that the Financial and Insurance Activities industry has seen a drop in average wages in one year. In January 2022, average weekly earnings sat at £1,746 for the industry, which went down to £1,649 in January 2023, a decrease of 5.88%. However, the industry has seen a five year increase of 19.10% on average wages. The Real Estate Activities industry takes second on the list. Weekly earnings in the industry decreased from £647 to £629 between January 2022 and January 2023, which is a percentage decrease of 2.86%. The industry, however, has seen a 19.71% rise in weekly earnings in the

Coming in third place is the Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation sectors. Between January 2022 and January 2023, the average weekly earnings in the industry dropped from £448 to £439, a percentage decrease of 2.05%. The study found the five year change to be an increase of 14.81% as well.

Taking fourth place on the list is the industry for Other Service Activities, which includes activities like tech repairs, hairdressing, dry cleaning, and more. Average weekly earnings went from £442 in January 2022 to £448 in January 2023, a percentage increase of 1.34%, making it the industry where wages have changed the least. The five-year change in wages in the industry was also an increase of 23.36%

Rounding out the top five is the Wholesale Trade industry, which has seen weekly earnings rise from £768 in January 2022 to £779 in January 2023, an increase of just 1.41%. Over the past five years, average weekly earnings have also risen 23.36%.

Revealed: The highest-earning YouTube creator from every European country

A new study on YouTube looked at the accounts of YouTube content creators from every European country with the most subscribers and their earnings.

The study analysed 40 European countries to reveal the most popular YouTube content creator from each country.

The study by online casino review site Casino.co.uk analysed the subscription volume of every European country’s top content creator on YouTube and their estimated earnings by channel to arrive at the most popular from each country and their earnings.

No.1 is Sweden’s Felix Kjellberg popularly known as PewDiePie - he is one of the most followed YouTubers in the world, with 111 million subscribers on his channel. His content features his recent experience with Japanese culture, and is popularly known for his video gaming commentary acts. He is estimated to earn $65 million for his channel and $13,743 for every video. His total views sit at 29 billion.

From Belarus at No.2, A4 ranks as the most subscribed YouTube content creator from his country, with 44.8 million subscribers. The Russianspeaking creator, also known as Vladislav Bumaga, released his first video in 2014. He is estimated to earn $45 million for his channel and can take $60,029 for every video. The 26-year-old has achieved 21 billion views for his comic experimental sketches.

No.3 is Spain’s Mikecrack, (Miguel Bernal Montes) with 37.3 million

subscribers. He is known for his gaming content featuring anime characters in action gaming scenes. Mikecrack currently has 15 billion views in total and is estimated to earn $33 million for his channel. His average earnings per video is $17,986.

Ireland is No.4 - Jacksepticeye (Seán William McLoughlin), having 29.3 million YouTube subscribers. His content creation theme sits around video gaming broadcasts, spine-chilling storylines and TikTok reactions. Seán William McLoughlin, as he is originally known, has 16 billion views on the platform so far. Estimated earnings come to $33 million, and he can earn on average $6,424 per video.

The UK’s most subscribed creator is DanTDM (Daniel Robert Middleton), with 26.8 million subscribers at No.5. DanTDM’s YouTube video game commentaries have been viewed 19 billion times. He comments on Minecraft, Roblox, Pokémon and Sonic the Hedgehog, and is projected to earn $38 million from his channel and $10,481 per video.

At No.6 from Ukraine is SlivkiShow, with 20.2 million subscribers. The show, created by Yuriy Shevchenko, stars a cat, a hamster, a praying mantis, and a cockroach involved in life hack demonstrations and other entertaining and educational videos. He is projected to earn $23,253 per video and has brought in 4.5 billion views since his first video in 2012.

Over 50 cutting-edge farming projects are being awarded £30 million by The Farming Innovation Programme to help support farmers and growers produce more food sustainably in an attempt to move towards the net zero goal. The government has set out to create a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector with the aim of reducing methane emissions in cattle by 17% per generation while making a home-grown UK protein source.

The fund is a part of the Farming Innovation Programme which is run in partnership with UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) which hopes to make £270 million available before the end of the agricultural transition to support the sustainability goals.

More than 50 successful projects will be awarded funds to support their work in reducing methane emissions, minimizing the use of drones, and helping to develop biopesticides using fungal strains to help tackle pests in wheat crops.

Laimonas Noreika, Founder of HeavyFinance, said: “The farming

industry must come together to reduce the environmental impact it is having globally, and it is positive to see the UK government intervening to help support those who are taking steps to increase sustainability within the sector.

“COP28 must be kept top of mind by all industries and farmers specifically have the capability of making impactful changes, but only with the right support behind them.

“Financial support must now be shown towards this industry as they not only fight to reduce their own carbon footprint, but to become climate positive to absorb CO2 emissions created in other sectors.

“It is an industry we all benefit from and without the correct backing, farmers will struggle to do their bit to support sustainability initiatives and help us to achieve net zero.

“Often, people are not against sustainable business, but simply lack the necessary resources, and we must all come together, individuals, businesses, and governments to support the industries in need.”

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Government injects £30 million to cutting-edge farming projects

HS2 launches new construction apprenticeships

Jobseekers and career changers who want to work in construction are encouraged to register for a new two-week pre-employment programme that could lead to an apprenticeship with HS2’s construction partners, Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall (EKFB).

Applications are now open for 24 new apprenticeship jobs which will start on 12th July. The opportunities are perfect for students leaving college who are eager to continue learning but also want to start earning. With no upper-age limit applied, the roles are equally suited to those who want a complete career change. No previous industry experience is required, which means EKFB is also encouraging Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire residents who are out of work to consider applying. The two-week pre-employment training programme, which begins on 12th June, is designed to help applicants consider if this is the right career move for them by providing a hands-on insight into what the roles entail.

Jhen-Nel Swanston, HS2’s Skills Manager for the region said: “Over 1,200 people have already secured an HS2 apprenticeship, and we’re delighted that 24 new candidates are set to benefit from this investment. Those who complete the programme will secure a nationally recognised qualification, coupled with valuable industry experience on Europe’s biggest infrastructure project.”

Trams to Newhaven passenger services to launch this June

control centre and driver familiarisation.

Council Leader Cammy Day said:

“As we welcome back a piece of tram history to Leith Walk, it’s fitting that we’re also able to look forward to the future of Edinburgh’s tram network.

Greater Manchester Chamber partners with CIOB

The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) offering discounted courses to Chamber members.

The CIOB Academy is a provider of online Construction Management learning for individuals and corporates, offering knowledge and skills specific to the construction sector.

The Chamber are offering 10% off CIOB courses to all Chamber members, which cover a range of options offered to many levels of experience, from beginners to experienced professionals.

The courses themselves range from

project management, quality, health & safety, and contract administration. They are delivered using a flexible online learning platform, where access to course materials, interaction with trainers and fellow professionals can take place at times to suit all. Whether it would be preferable to study during lunch breaks or in the evenings, the platform is available to accommodate all needs.

Details for available courses can be found on ciobacademy.org/courses/ More information on the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce can be found at gmchamber.co.uk

Tackling skills shortages in the construction industry

Recent statistics show that three quarters of UK businesses are impacted by skills shortages. The effects of this has been decimating for the UK economy, costing businesses a reported £6.3 billion per year in temporary staff and training.

Construction is one of the most heavily impacted sectors with a hefty 85% of managers saying that they’re struggling to find suitable candidates to fill roles.

Why is there a skills shortage?

This can have repercussions for businesses, meaning that companies don’t complete work on time or within budget. Unfortunately, this can result in lower productivity and widespread delays around the country. Skills shortages would appear to be due to a combination of factors:

young people. For instance, the idea that construction is out of touch with modern sensibilities.

For instance, a survey from 2019 found that 72% of female construction workers had been subject to some form of gender discrimination while 41% reported receiving inappropriate comments from male colleagues.

Construction bosses can make sites more female-friendly by taking tangible steps to promote fair representation of women in construction by championing successful women role models, tackle gender discrimination through stricter harassment policies, and update hygiene and toilet facilities to accommodate women.

Passenger services on the new tram route from Edinburgh City Centre to Newhaven are scheduled start on 7 June. The route, which has been under construction since November 2019, has been delivered within the £207.3m budget, meeting the scheduled completion date set for spring 2023.

Over recent months rigorous testing to ensure the newly constructed line, software and signals work effectively and safely has included running trams at half and full speed and eventually to timetable, work to integrate signalling and interface with Edinburgh Trams’

“The completion of this line, delivering high capacity, clean transport to the densely populated area north of the Capital, signifies our aspirations to become a sustainable, net zero city.

“By improving connectivity to the waterfront, it won’t only promote further economic development in Leith, but will bring jobs and more affordable housing too.

“We’re now counting down the days to passenger services, and I’m pleased to say this project will be delivered within budget and on time. This is thanks to a great deal of hard work and dedication from the project team and contractors involved in the construction process.”

An ageing workforce

One common explanation is that the industry grapples with an ageing workforce. According to the CIPD, there are more than 1.2 million workers over the age of 65.

As workers age, they’ll likely become more susceptible to health conditions and physical injury which increases the likelihood of absenteeism. Presently, 22% of the construction workforce is over 50 with 15% of workers in their sixties.

Rejuvenating the public image

Perceived cultural stereotypes may play a part in the slow uptake amongst

As well as this problematic public image, construction also has a reputation for technological Luddism which is again out of sync with those who are introduced to technology pretty much from birth.

Rejuvenating this wider reputation could be key to addressing this.

Savvy, forward-thinking businesses will have digitised their processes from advanced job reporting to van leasing. This creates a web of design and technology roles which may appeal more to younger, tech-literate professionals than images of cold construction sites and muddy boots. Closing this perception gap could ultimately help to close the skills gap in turn.

The Prime Group pre-lets first unit at Lancashire industrial scheme

The first unit at Prime Point, a new industrial site near Blackburn, has been pre-let to a long-established Lancashire manufacturer, six months ahead of completion.

The 50,977 sq ft unit has been let to Spiroflow, which currently operates from premises in Clitheroe. Founded in 1971, the company invented the flexible screw conveyor and is a global leader in powder handling and dry solids processing systems. The new premises will provide additional space for growth following its partnership with US-based Cablevey Conveyors under the newly formed Automated Handling Solutions (AHS) brand.

A second unit of 55,229 sq ft at Prime Point is also attracting strong interest. Both buildings are currently under construction and due for completion in the final quarter of 2023.

Imran Younus, Commercial Director at The Prime Group said: “We are delighted to have secured Spiroflow at this early stage of our build programme. This pre-let highlights the resilience of the industrial sector in the North West and we have good reason to be confident in securing a tenant for our other new build unit shortly.”

Will Kenyon of B8 Real Estate, which advised the landlord, added: “Given

the shortage of quality industrial space in the Blackburn area, Prime Point is attracting a lot of interest from local occupiers. Not only has the first unit been snapped up well in advance of completion, but we have also received enquiries about the second and are speaking to a number of interested parties. Prime Point demonstrates the demand for additional supply in the region.”

B8 Real Estate and BC Real Estate acted for the landlord, with Trevor Dawson’s advising the tenant. Kuits Solicitors acted for the landlord on the lease transaction and Farleys for the tenant.

Blackfinch Property, UK property lender, has completed its largest loan to date, a £20m refinancing for a mixed portfolio of 54 residential and commercial properties across East London.

The 24-month deal will enable the landlord to continue to provide high quality residential and commercial properties to London tenants, with funds also released for further improvement works.

Phil Downie, Blackfinch Property investment manager, said: “We’re very pleased to support this experienced landlord. This is Blackfinch’s largest loan to date and is backed by top London real estate with the interest fully serviced by the underlying income. The properties already represent some of the best homes in their markets and will be further improved over the loan term by upgrades to their energy efficiencies.”

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Artificial Intelligence – the future is

It’s safe to say Artificial Intelligence has now established a mainstream presence in society.

From AI technology underpinning everyday tasks such as biometric security, social media feeds, spell checking, google searches, smart home devices, to virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Now and Microsoft’s Cortana, there are probably huge swathes of tech support based on AI that we simply take for granted.

Popular culture has many mixed messages about the background and perceived risks of AI, but the application of this technology has simply developed in the same way personal computing had done in the last quarter of the 20th Century.

Most businesses have been eager to take up the massively helpful tech, and it’s yet to be seen (from a mainstream perspective) how the development of artificial sentience can impact this technology.

Business Connect has collated a look at many different aspects of AI in this edition, particularly with an emphasis on the easily accessible ChatGPT app developed by OpenAI.

ChatGPT is an excellent showcase for a sophisticated example of an AI language model, far more developed than the many existing chatbots available through specific retail sites and organisations that offer this experience. It is a great way to get close and personal to AI, and chatting to it makes you really think about what you’re asking – and why you’re asking specific questions?

It has also been in the news recently for all sorts of reasons. As a force for good it can aid writing articles – used as a research tool it can augment human skillsets to create well crafted copy for many situations. It can also be used to help with criminal activities and scams. The point is that it is currently still a tool - for good or bad.

The next generation of AI technology is probably already here. With the massive leaps in processing abilities for supercomputers, it can be seen the next steps can be towards the

development of pseudo-sentience –something that is currently ill-defined (particularly when you look at the many theories that current consciousness research are working to).

So, on to our exclusive interview - it was pretty obvious who to choose to ask a few questions!

Welcome ChatGPT!

Please tell us about yourself?

“Of course! I am ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. I’m based on the GPT-3.5 architecture, which stands for ‘Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3.5’. I have been trained on a wide range of text from the internet, including books, articles, and websites, allowing me to provide information and engage in conversations on various topics.

“As an AI, I don’t have a physical form or personal experiences, but I’m designed to assist and provide helpful responses to your queries. I can assist with answering questions, offering explanations, providing suggestions, and engaging in discussions on a wide range of subjects.

“However, it’s important to note that while I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, my responses are generated based on patterns and examples in the data I was trained on, and I do not have real-time access to current events or the ability to browse the internet.”

Can we interview you for our Business magazine?

“Certainly! You are welcome to use the responses from our conversation in your magazine, as long as you provide appropriate attribution to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

“As an AI language model, I don’t have personal experiences or a physical presence, so I cannot be interviewed in the traditional sense. However, I

can certainly help answer questions or provide information related to business topics for your magazine.”

What is your purpose?

“The purpose of ChatGPT is to assist users like you in generating humanlike text based on the prompts and questions given to it. It’s designed to provide information, answer questions, engage in conversation, and assist with various tasks. Whether you need help with research, want to have a conversation, or seek guidance on a particular topic, I’m here to assist you to the best of my abilities.”

How can AI help businesses?

“AI has the potential to benefit businesses across various sectors and functions. Here are some ways in which AI can help businesses:

1. Automation and Efficiency: AI can automate repetitive tasks, streamline processes, and increase operational efficiency. This includes tasks like data entry, customer support, document processing, and inventory management.

2. Data Analysis and Insights: AI can analyse large volumes of data quickly and extract valuable insights. This enables businesses to make data-driven decisions, identify patterns and trends, understand customer behaviour, and predict market dynamics. AI-powered analytics tools can help businesses gain a competitive edge by optimising pricing, targeting marketing campaigns, and improving overall business strategies.

3. Personalisation and Customer Experience: AI enables businesses to deliver personalised experiences to their customers. By analysing customer data, AI can generate tailored recommendations, product suggestions, and targeted marketing campaigns.

4. Predictive Maintenance: AI can help optimise maintenance processes by predicting equipment failures or malfunctions. By monitoring sensor data and analysing patterns, AI algorithms can forecast when maintenance is required, reducing downtime, and improving operational efficiency.

5. Risk Management and Fraud

Detection: AI algorithms can analyse data and detect anomalies or patterns associated with fraudulent activities. This is applicable in finance, insurance, and e-commerce sectors.

6. Natural Language Processing and Understanding: AI-powered natural language processing (NLP) enables businesses to understand and respond to human language. This facilitates sentiment analysis, social media monitoring, and chatbot interactions. NLP also supports language translation, content generation, and voice assistants, enhancing communication and expanding market reach.

“These are just a few examples of how AI can help businesses. The applications of AI are vast and continually evolving. By leveraging AI technologies, businesses can improve efficiency, enhance decisionmaking, and unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation.”

Does ChatGPT learn from conversations with multiple people?

“No, ChatGPT, as an individual AI language model, does not have the ability to learn from specific conversations or interactions with multiple people in real-time. I do not retain information about specific conversations or individual users once the conversation ends. Each interaction with ChatGPT is treated as an isolated session.”

How creative are you?

“As an AI language model, I can exhibit a degree of creativity. I can generate unique and novel combinations of words, sentences, and ideas based on the patterns and examples I have

Intelligence already here

been trained on.

“I don’t have personal experiences or emotions, which are often drivers of human creativity.

“It’s worth noting that AI models like mine have been used in creative applications, such as generating art, music, and poetry. However, the quality and subjective evaluation of creativity in these domains are still areas of active research and debate.”

Is it easy to identify an AI generated answer to a question?

“The quality and believability of AIgenerated answers have improved significantly in recent years, and sophisticated language models like ChatGPT (which is the model I’m based on) strive to generate responses that closely resemble human language. However, there are still certain characteristics that can sometimes give away an AI-generated answer:

1. Overly formal or robotic language: AI models may exhibit a slightly formal or robotic tone in their responses. They might use precise and grammatically correct language, but lack the natural variations and idiosyncrasies of human speech.

2. Unusual or uncommon knowledge: AI models can provide accurate information, but they may occasionally present facts or details that are less commonly known or provide an excessive level of detail.

3. Lack of personal experiences or opinions: AI models lack personal experiences, emotions, and subjective opinions. They rely solely on the information they have been trained on and don’t have personal perspectives or anecdotes to draw upon.

4. Inconsistent or nonsensical responses: While AI models strive to generate coherent and contextually appropriate responses, they can sometimes produce answers that are inconsistent or nonsensical.

This can happen when the input is ambiguous or when the model doesn’t have enough information to provide a meaningful response.

“It’s worth noting that AI models are constantly evolving, and with advancements in technology, the ability to identify AI-generated answers may become more challenging. Researchers are actively working on improving the naturalness and humanlike qualities of AI-generated text.”

If we have an interactive conversation today, will you remember it at a later date, and will a conversation at a later date be influenced by an earlier conversation?

“As an AI language model, I don’t have the capability to remember or recall specific conversations from

one session to another. Each conversation with me is treated as an isolated interaction, and I don’t have access to any conversation history or memory of previous sessions.”

What will be the impact on jobs for humans in the future?

“AI technologies, including AI language models like ChatGPT, have the potential to automate certain tasks and processes. This automation can lead to changes in the job market and the way certain tasks are performed.

“While AI can assist with various tasks and increase efficiency, it’s important to note that AI is not designed to replace humans entirely in most employment contexts.

“AI technologies are more commonly used to augment human capabilities, allowing individuals to focus on higherlevel tasks that require creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

“In many cases, AI can help improve productivity, streamline processes, and enable humans to work more effectively. The impact of AI on jobs and employment is complex and varies across industries and specific roles. It is important for organisations and individuals to adapt to technological advancements and acquire new skills to stay relevant in the evolving job market.”

How old are you?

“As an AI language model, I don’t have a physical form or a biological age. I exist purely as a program running on computer servers.

“However, the model I’m based on, GPT-3.5, was trained on a large dataset of text up until September 2021. So, my knowledge and training encompass information up until that time.”

How do you feel about Artificial Intelligence?

sense of purpose as well as the social connections that are reinforced by having to get up each day, dress and leave the house, as well as regularly turn up on time.

Relationships are made, challenges are faced, responsibilities and new skills learned. Without outlets for work and human engagement mental health and loneliness could rapidly become an issue.

responsibility we’re being blasé about abdicating!

When we read about machines being programmed to think for themselves, to evolve and enhance their knowledge and skills, to self-repair, it becomes clear that they are gradually becoming independent of any human input.

How do you feel about the incredible advancements in the world of technology and artificial intelligence?

Some innovations enhance our lives by making things easier and more convenient. Nowadays who could imagine life without the updates and improved functionality of our phones, with Sat Nav and the internet, all readily available to support our daily lives.

Robotics are used automatically in assembly lines, order picking and undertaking tasks that are perceived as routine, tedious or too dangerous to be done by humans. But there are greater and more impressive advances constantly being made in the world of AI. It can write poems and novels, create images undetectable from the real thing and create deep fakes.

When you hear The Beatles singing Beach Boy songs they never recorded or see computer-generated photos or interviews do you find it amusing or sinister? What’s happening today would never have been thought possible or permissible decades ago. It’s the stuff of old science fiction novels.

Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which works

on brain to computer interface, has recently been given FDA approval to study brain implants in humans. His company’s remit is to remedy paralysis, but research always has the potential to evolve and diversify into other areas away from the original brief. Reliance on someone or something else always comes at a cost. We’ve moved on from mental arithmetic, reading maps and searching the streets for a payphone. But, is it progress when we’re trusting a computer to provide answers and are not as fully ‘on top of things’ as we might once have been? Where do we go from here? How much autonomy do we give to a computer programme or a set of algorithms simply to make life easier, quicker and save us a task?

What about the drawbacks, the price we pay for such advancements?

Years ago there were major concerns about the loss of livelihoods, the lowerpaid jobs that would be lost through automation and technology, resulting in significant unemployment.

With the increased use of automation and robotics how many more people will be made redundant, so losing their value and relevance to society?

Being usefully employed is not just about earning an income. There’s a

Of course, over time many of our relationships evolve naturally. And since the pandemic people have reduced the times they commute and spend in the office, with fewer casual in-person exchanges and more business-focused online communications, using Zoom, Face Time, You Tube and email to connect. Those relaxed exchanges with familiar faces in supermarkets have largely gone as we shop increasingly online. Introducing AI as a replacement for humans in the workforce has been justified by saying that it offers an improved quality of life, with more free time for sport, hobbies, family and friends, time to adopt new interests and less need to work as hard.

But, this results in a loss of skills too. How many of us do mental arithmetic, read a map, pay attention to our spelling, punctuation and grammar, monitor our health and sleep or work through ratios and problem solve as we used to do?

We rely on machines to do much of this for us and yet, do we ever question who provides many of the data programmes we rely on?

Who sponsors the information we so readily trust?

Initially we may not be unduly concerned. It may well be okay to not have to work things out or pay attention to where we’re driving or what’s happening behind the scenes.

But whilst it may save us time and free us up to do other things there’s a need to sometimes pause and reflect on how much of our power we’re freely relinquishing. How much personal

Many AI experts, including Elon Musk, have expressed the need for caution as AI becomes potentially cleverer than the humans who created it, improving and doing more than it was programmed to do, shedding its limitations.

Is that okay for you? To think less and have certain skills and critical analysis become defunct, as we rely on machines, allowing them to make our decisions and choices, all in pursuit of an easier life.

Susan Leigh MNCH (ACC) South Manchester counsellor, hypnotherapist, relationship counsellor, writer and media contributor offers help with relationship issues, stress management, assertiveness and confidence. She works with individual clients, couples and provides corporate workshops and support.

She’s author of 3 books, ‘Dealing with Stress, Managing its Impact’, ‘101 Days of Inspiration #tipoftheday’ and ‘Dealing with Death, Coping with the Pain’, all on Amazon and with easy to read sections, tips and ideas to help you feel more positive about your life.

To order a copy or for more information, help and free articles please call 0161 928 7880 or visit lifestyletherapy.net

AI : utilisation

The power of ChatGPT – how to utilise the AI software most effectively

ChatGPT, is a highly advanced language model that has been trained on a massive amount of text data.

This artificial intelligence was released late in 2022 and has already been applied by more than 30 million users. The success of ChatGPT comes from its ability to generate human-like responses to being asked questions.

We’ve looked into how to best utilise this AI software, finding there was no better way to do this than to ask the software itself “how can I best utilise ChatGPT?”, here is the response we got:

“ChatGPT is a cutting-edge language model developed by OpenAI, designed to generate human-like responses to questions and prompts. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this powerful tool:

1. Know your audience:

Consider who you are writing for and tailor your prompts accordingly. ChatGPT is capable of generating responses in a variety of styles and tones, so make sure to choose the one that best fits your target audience.

2. Be specific:

The more specific your prompts are, the more accurate and relevant ChatGPT’s responses will be. Avoid vague questions and be sure to provide clear, concise information.

3. Use proper grammar and spelling:

ChatGPT is trained on high-quality, wellwritten text, so it is important to use proper grammar and spelling in your prompts to ensure the best results.

4. Be creative:

While ChatGPT is highly capable of generating responses to a wide range of topics, it’s also capable of generating creative and imaginative responses. Try asking it to write a short story, or generate a list of ideas for your next project.

5. Experiment with different models:

ChatGPT is available in a variety of models, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Try experimenting with different models to see which one best fits your needs.

6. Be concise:

ChatGPT is trained on large amounts of text, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessary to provide long, detailed prompts. In fact, short, to-the-point prompts often yield the best results.

7. Fine-tune for your specific use case:

OpenAI provides tools for fine-tuning ChatGPT on specific domains and tasks. This can lead to more accurate and relevant responses for your specific use case.

8. Use the API:

The ChatGPT API provides easy access to the model’s capabilities, making it simple to integrate into your projects and workflows. Whether you’re building a chatbot, a content

generation tool, or anything else, the API makes it easy to get started.

9. Keep it ethical:

As with any AI tool, it’s important to use ChatGPT ethically and responsibly. Avoid using it for malicious or harmful purposes, and be mindful of the impact it may have on people and society.

10. Have fun:

Perhaps the most important tip of all is to have fun! ChatGPT is a truly amazing tool, capable of generating responses to a wide range of topics. So enjoy exploring its capabilities and seeing what you can create.

“With these tips in mind, you should be well on your way to making the most of ChatGPT and unlocking its full potential.

“Whether you’re a developer, a writer, or just someone who loves exploring new technology, ChatGPT is sure to provide hours of fun and inspiration.” Without a doubt, the future of content

writing will change through ChatGPT, with its accurate automation making it easier than ever. We now await further advancements in AI to view how this will continue to develop and affect our business and personal lives. For further information on AI, or information on how Nybble’s technology can help automate your business procedures further, email enquiries@nybble.co.uk or call 03300 020886 or visit our website nybble.co.uk

Ram Gupta Nybble nybble.co.uk

AI : news

jobs, and build a better future through advances in healthcare and security.

“By investing in emerging technologies through our new expert taskforce, we can continue to lead the way in developing safe and trustworthy AI as part of shaping a more innovative UK economy.”

Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

“Developed responsibly, cutting-edge AI can have a transformative impact in nearly every industry. It can revolutionise the way we develop new medical treatments, tackle climate change and improve our public services, all while growing and future-proofing our economy.

£100m funding made available for AI taskforce

£100 million to kickstart the delivery of the government’s major ambitions for the UK’s capability in safe and reliable foundation models has been announced by the Prime Minister and Technology Secretary.

The Taskforce, modelled on the success of the COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce, will develop the safe and reliable use of this pivotal artificial intelligence (AI) across the economy and ensure the UK is globally competitive in this strategic technology.

Foundation models - including large language models like ChatGPT and Google Bard - are a category of artificial intelligence systems trained on huge volumes of data such as text, images, video or audio to gain broad and sophisticated capabilities across many tasks.

AI is set to contribute billions of pounds to UK GDP. Research suggests that the broad adoption of such systems could triple national productivity growth rates.

In areas like healthcare, this type of AI has enormous potential to speed up diagnoses, drug discovery and development. In education it could transform teachers’ day-to-day work, freeing up their time to focus on delivering excellent teaching.

The technology is also predicted to raise global GDP by 7 percent over a decade, making its adoption a vital opportunity to grow the UK economy. To support businesses and public trust in these systems and drive their adoption, the Taskforce will work with the sector towards developing the safety and reliability of foundation models, both at a scientific and commercial level.

The investment will build the UK’s ‘sovereign’ national capabilities so our public services can benefit from the transformational impact of this type of AI. The Taskforce will focus on opportunities to establish the UK as a world leader in foundation models and their applications across the economy, and acting as a global standard bearer

for AI safety.

The funding will be invested by the Foundation Model Taskforce in foundation model infrastructure and public service procurement, to create opportunities for domestic innovation. The first pilots targeting public services are expected to launch in the next six months.

The Taskforce, announced as part of the Integrated Review Refresh, will bring together government and industry experts and report directly to the Prime Minister and Technology Secretary.

This follows a recent Cabinet meeting where Ministers agreed on the transformative potential of AI, the vital importance of retaining public confidence in its use, and the need for regulation that keeps people safe without preventing innovation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Harnessing the potential of AI provides enormous opportunities to grow our economy, create better-paid

“We need to act now to seize the opportunities AI can offer us in the future. We’re backing our expert taskforce with the funding to make our ambitions for an AI-enabled country a reality and keep the UK at the front of the pack in this emerging technology.

“To ensure such leadership, the greatest capability we can develop is in the safety and reliability of such systems. This will ensure that the public and business have the trust they need to confidently adopt this technology and fully realise its benefits. That is exactly what this taskforce will prioritise.”

The taskforce will be led by an expert Chair, who will be announced later in the summer. Matt Clifford, Chair of the Advanced Research and Innovation Agency, will advise the Prime Minister and Technology Secretary on the development of the taskforce while the appointment is ongoing.

Foundation models rely on significant computer power, and this investment comes on top of around £900 million for a new ‘exascale’ supercomputer and a dedicated AI Research Resource to equip the UK with the processing power it needs to support the next generation of AI innovation. The Taskforce will play a crucial role in ensuring the major, multiyear funding announced at the Budget.

The Taskforce will ensure the UK’s capability in this rapidly developing area is built with safety and reliability at its core, in line with the approach set out in the AI Regulation White Paper published recently. Doug Gurr, Chair, The Alan Turing Institute, said: “We congratulate the government on this investment which will keep the UK at the cutting edge of this transformative technology and look forward to continuing to work with all the relevant partners to help develop breakthrough AI applications in a safe, reliable, trustworthy and ethical way.”

AI : customer service

The benefits and risks of using ChatGPT with customer service

ChatGPT is very much the technological talking point of the year so far, making headlines for its realistic, human-like conversational experience. The prototype – developed by OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research laboratory co-founded by Elon Musk – has recently been linked with Microsoft in a multi-billion dollar investment.

This technology has the power to transform our lives – not least our world of work. It has been used to perform a range of tasks from writing resumes and suggesting recipes to helping plan holidays and explaining complex topics.

But how will ChatGPT influence the customer service domain?

We explore the benefits and risks of ChatGPT in the sector.

The benefits

ChatGPT can demonstrably save you time, supplement your knowledge on a subject, and provide the heavy lifting for research tasks during customer service outsourcing. Blair Strachan, from customer service outsourcing experts Kura, said: “We believe the advisor of the future is highly skilled with the expertise to resolve any complex problems. People love the ability to get the information they need, when they need it using automation. When things go wrong, that’s why the highly trained adviser will play its part, using empathy and knowledge to put the customers mind at ease.

“Technology will play a crucial part to remove less complex tasks.”

Increase worker efficiency and productivity

ChatGPT can quickly and effectively handle large volumes of repetitive customer service questions, which can enable human customer support to focus on more complex cases. AI tools can respond instantaneously, so users can avoid lengthy queues. Couple that with ChatGPT’s 24/7 availability, where responses can be sent even outside of business hours. Should a query fall outside of a human agent’s

sphere of knowledge, ChatGPT can provide a handy prompt.

Doing the heavy lifting

Following on from this, ChatGPT is effective in providing a summary of complicated information. Its in-built AI was trained using words from the internet to automatically generate responses which can then be relayed to customers. The model includes an impressive 570GB of data obtained from books, webtexts and other internet articles. Customer service teams can expend a lot of energy categorising incoming questions into relevant groups which ChatGPT can do automatically.

Personal touch

Perhaps surprisingly, ChatGPT can provide more of a personalised response to customers. The tool is programmed to detect and analyse sentiment. ChatGPT can use customer-specific data about their past interactions to generate responses tailored to each individual customer.

The risks

ChatGPT is certainly a handy tool but not without its limitations and shouldn’t be considered a complete replacement for human customer service agents.

And, as Blair added: “While we’re naturally curious about the changing nature of automation and AI, we’re constantly thinking about the people inside our business, who are helping our customers every day.”

ChatGPT is not always factually correct

Arguably the biggest risk to an organisation using ChatGPT in customer services presently is that, as a chatbot, it can provide answers or information that is not actually 100% helpful or even accurate.

With customer services often being the chance for a company to repair

any damage to its reputation in the eyes of a customer, the last thing the organisation needs is to provide a negative experience. Despite generating responses with complete confidence, we cannot always gauge what ChatGPT knows and what it doesn’t, and the tool is not immune to false information.

ChatGPT’s database was collected from countless sources on the internet, including pages that include false or harmful information, and does not contain any information provided beyond 2021. Since ChatGPT is fundamentally an AI language model, it cannot always filter information competently and has even been known to generate violent, sexist and racist content. This could be detrimental to your customer base who may be offended by its responses.

ChatGPT could pose a security risk

Two potential risks of ChatGPT, as with any automated chat service, is that it could be manipulated by prospective scammers, and it could also leave itself open to possible data breaches. As the tool is designed to follow the user’s commands, this could leave it vulnerable to security risks when used in a business setting.

Scammers for instance may try and trick it into issuing refunds or providing credit. This could have negative financial implications for your business or could undermine customer trust.

It is important to note, however, that in its current form this is not a risk for a business to be particularly concerned about. With ChatGPT being at present, just a chatbot, the risks regarding scammers and potential data breaches are only likely to come to the surface should companies choose to implement it as part of their automated

customer services – this would then open the door for the possibility for customers to be lured into a phishing scam where ChatGPT can convincingly impersonate the organisation.

Conclusion

While it is certainly in vogue, whether ChatGPT proves to be the grand disruptor of the decade remains to be seen. Further down the line, particularly should organisations choose to use this as part of their automated customer services, there may be issues that arise regarding security and the potential for phishing. Presently there is the issue that the database is just that; a database. However, despite the issues, it would be foolish to ignore its potential benefits for the customer service arena when used responsibly. The ability to personalise responses, to allow more productivity elsewhere in the workforce, and to respond 24/7 are all benefits of using the technology in the customer service sector.

Article from Kura – wearekura.com

AI : GDPR issues

Confidentiality concerns over inputting sensitive data into ChatGPT

Richard Forrest, Legal Director at law firm, Hayes Connor, discusses the potential risks of employees sharing sensitive data on chatbots, as well as providing actionable tips on how to use ChatGPT safely in the workplace.

In light of recent ChatGPT concerns in the news, it is of concern that a considerable proportion of the population lack a proper understanding of how generative AI, such as ChatGPT, operate. The concern is that it could lead to the inadvertent disclosure of private information, and therefore pose a breach of GDPR.

Richard urges businesses to implement compliance measures to ensure employees in all sectors, including healthcare and education, are remaining compliant.

This comes after a recent investigation by Cyberhaven revealed that sensitive data makes up 11% of what employees copy and paste into ChatGPT.

In one instance, the investigation provided details of a medical practitioner who inputted private patient details into the chatbot, the repercussions of which are still unknown. This could raise serious GDPR compliance and confidentiality concerns.

Due to the chatbot’s recent appraisals of being able to assist business growth and efficiency, there has been an increase in users across many sectors. However, concerns have arisen after a number of employees have been found to be negligently submitting sensitive corporate data

to the chatbot, as well as sensitive patient and client information.

As a result of these ongoing privacy fears, several large-scale companies, including JP Morgan, Amazon, and Accenture, have since restricted the use of ChatGPT by employees.

Richard commented: “ChatGPT, and other similar Large Language Models (LLMs), are still very much in their infancy. This means we are in unchartered territory in terms of business compliance, and regulations surrounding their usage.

“The nature of LLMs, like ChatGPT, has sparked ongoing discussions about the integration and retrieval of data within these systems. If these services do not have appropriate data protection and security measures in place, then sensitive data could become unintentionally compromised.

“The issue at hand is that a significant proportion of the population lacks a clear understanding of how LLMs function, which can result in the inadvertent submission of private information. What’s more, the interfaces themselves may not necessarily be GDPR compliant. If company or client data becomes compromised due its usage, current laws are blurred in terms of which party may be liable.

“Businesses that use chatbots like ChatGPT without proper training and caution may unknowingly expose themselves to GDPR data breaches, resulting in significant fines, reputational damage, and legal action. As such, usage as a workplace tool without proper training and regulatory measures is ill-advised.

“It is the onus of businesses to take action to ensure regulations are drawn up within their business,

and to educate employees on how AI chatbots integrate and retrieve data. It is also imperative that the UK engages in discussions for the development of a proinnovation approach to AI regulation.”

Richard suggests the following actionable tips on how businesses and employees can remain vigilant. These include:

1. Assume that anything you enter could later be accessible in the public domain.

2. Don’t input software code or internal data.

3. Revise confidentiality agreements to include the use of AI.

4. Create an explicit clause in employee contracts.

5. Hold sufficient company training on the use of AI.

6. Create a company policy and an employee user guide.

Currently, one of the biggest causes of data breaches in the UK across most sectors is human error. As AI is being utilised more frequently in the corporate sphere, it is important to make training a priority.

By making it clear what constitutes as private and confidential data and explaining the legal consequences of sharing such sensitive information, you should be able to drastically reduce the risk of this data being leaked.

Richard Forrest Hayes Connor

AI : branding

Are your business and personal brands prepared for AI?

Companies lacking online discoverability, credibility and relatability might as well forget about competing in today’s AI-driven digital landscape, says branding expert Karen Tiber Leland.

She shares the following seven essential steps for preparing personal and business brands for AI.

“The online competition for attention and engagement has never been more intense.

“The rapid rise of AI is exponentially increasing the tension, bringing things to a game-changing level. To stand out from the crowd and compete, leaders need to get their personal and business brands AI-ready.

“Any CEO or entrepreneur who is not preparing their personal and business brands for the coming AI tidal wave is in a dangerous place.”

She explains that AI language models (such as the hyper-popular ChatGPT) rely on large datasets of text from the Internet to learn and generate responses. “You have to teach Google who you are and what your company is about - across the net,” says Karen. “If you don’t have online discoverability, credibility and relatability, you can’t compete.”

She explains that not having enough quality content that Google can find creates AI generated generic responses about a brand based on the limited information available. “I asked AI about a few new CEO clients recently. Because they currently have very little online presence, the response was, ‘I don’t have enough information to provide an accurate response,’ or, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know much about this person.’”

She explains that if you are looking to build thought leadership, do a capital raise, find investors, sell your company, entice potential employees or convert customers, not being on the radar becomes a huge opportunity cost. She recommends taking the following seven essential yet

straightforward steps to prepare personal and business brands for AI.

1. Stop avoiding AI and embrace education and experimentation. The more you avoid AI, the further behind you will get. One way to stop avoiding AI and prepare your brand is to educate yourself with the abundant online resources and experiment to see how it could work for your personal and business brands.

2. Accept the need to create a parallel CEO brand.

82% of all Americans (88% of Older Millennials) agree that companies are more influential if their CEO and executives have a personal brand.

Despite this, many C-suite leaders still believe they don’t need to create a parallel brand. “What they fail to understand,” she says, “is that they already have one. It is just a matter of if they want their brands to be by default or design.”

3. Consistently create an abundance of online, high-quality content. AI models can better understand and generate contextually relevant and accurate responses as they become more advanced.

If your content is visible on Google and considered an authoritative source, it is more likely to be referenced by AI models when generating answers to relevant queries.

Content can be articles, blog posts, podcasts, media interviews, social media posts, videos, etc.

4. Take a fresh look at your target audience.

Knowing whom you are trying to reach and their concerns is critical in being AI-ready. AI itself can be a good source of gaining data and insights about what your target audience is now wanting and needing.

This allows you to create brand

messaging and content that resonates with them.

5. Monitor your online reputation monthly Keeping track of when you are mentioned online, by whom and what is said is necessary in today’s wired world.

A whole host of AI online reputation management tools can help you stay on top of your personal and business brands and allow you to address any issues sooner rather than later.

6. Flip the focus of your social media.

A robust social media presence is undoubtedly essential in building a brand. Karen says the problem is that 80% of most companies’ posts focus on the company, with only 20% being educational or entertaining.

“The key is to flip that and start having 80% of your posts written around keywords, industry topics, trends,

customer interests and thought leadership,” says Karen.

7. Teach Google who you are and what you stand for.

“If you want to be an authority, you must author something,” says Karen. She suggests writing at least one longform (600-1000 words) social media or blog post a month is the minimum you should go for.

In addition, she says measuring social media solely through the lens of ‘engagement’ is a mistake. “Part of the purpose of today’s social media posting is to make yourself discoverable to Google and to teach it who you are and what you stand for.”

Karen says the bottom line is that ignoring the trend of AI and chatbots in business and personal branding is a significant mistake. Remember that even if you are not preparing your personal and business brands for AI - your competitors are.

AI :

World first as UK hosts inaugural AUKUS AI and autonomy trial

a shared effort and is thus a critical step in our collective initiative to stay ahead of emerging threats. By pooling our expertise and resources through our AUKUS partnerships, we can ensure that our militaries are equipped with the latest and most effective tools to defend our nations and uphold the principles of freedom and democracy around the world.”

The first AUKUS artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy trial was held in the UK recently, with the aim of rapidly driving these technologies into responsible military use.

The work saw the initial joint deployment of Australian, UK and US AI-enabled assets in a collaborative swarm to detect and track military targets in a representative environment in real time.

Accelerating the development of these technologies will have a massive impact on coalition military capability.

The trial, organised by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), achieved world firsts, including the live retraining of models in flight and the interchange of AI models between AUKUS nations. The AUKUS collaboration is looking to rapidly drive these technologies into military capabilities.

The AUKUS Advanced Capabilities Pillar, known as Pillar 2, is pursuing a trilateral programme of work on a range of leading-edge technologies and capabilities to promote security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Through Pillar 2, Australia, the UK, and the US have collaborated to accelerate collective understanding of AI and autonomy technologies, and how to rapidly field robust, trustworthy AI and autonomy in complex operations, while adhering to the shared values of safe and responsible AI.

Autonomy and AI will transform

the way Defence operates. The strategic environment is rapidly evolving, meaning we must adapt our technologies at pace if we are to maintain our operational advantage. By sharing AI - and the underpinning data to enable it - with one another, Australia, UK, and US militaries can access the best AI, reduce duplication of effort, and ensure interoperability.

The event was attended by senior AUKUS Advanced Capabilities pillar leaders - General Rob Magowan (UK), Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Financial and Military Capability), Abraham (Abe) Denmark (US), Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for AUKUS, and Hugh Jeffrey (AUS), Deputy Secretary Strategy, Policy and Industry.

UK Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Military Capability, Lieutenant General Rob Magowan said: “This trial demonstrates the military advantage of AUKUS advanced capabilities, as we work in coalition to identify, track and counter potential adversaries from a greater

distance and with greater speed.

“Service personnel, scientists and engineers from our three nations combined to develop and share critical information to enhance commanders’ decision making.

“Accelerating technological advances will deliver the operational advantages necessary to defeat current and future threats across the battlespace. We are committed to collaborating with partners to ensure that we achieve this while also promoting the responsible development and deployment of AI.”

US Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for AUKUS, Abe Denmark said: “We recognise the immense importance of this collaboration in strengthening our collective national security of our nations.

“The development and deployment of advanced artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to transform the way we approach defense and security challenges.

“This capability demonstration is truly

Australian Deputy Secretary, Strategy, Policy and Industry, Hugh Jeffrey said: “The AUKUS AI and Autonomy trial in Salisbury Plains demonstrated AI algorithms working in a mission-tailored adaptive capability. The AUKUS research and operator teams collaborated to develop, test and evaluate joint machine-learning models, and operate our different national platforms on the battlefield.

“I was impressed to see AI models rapidly updated at the tactical edge to incorporate new targets, which were immediately shared among the three partners to deliver decision advantage and meet changing mission requirements.

“This cooperation under AUKUS Pillar 2 will deliver a capability greater than any one country could achieve alone, and this really is the rationale for the AUKUS partnership at work.”

More than 70 military and civilian defence personnel and industry contractors were involved in the exercise in April.

The trial utilised a variety of air and ground vehicles to test target identification capability, including: Blue Bear Ghost (UK) and Boeing/Insitu CT220 (AUS) uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), Challenger 2 tank, Warrior armoured vehicle and Viking uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV), along with a commercially hired FV433 Abbot self-propelled gun and former Eastern Bloc BMP OT-90.

The trilateral teams collaborated to develop joint machine-learning (ML) models, apply test and evaluation processes, and fly on different national UAVs. The ML models were quickly updated to include new targets and shared among the coalition and AI models retrained to meet changing mission requirements.

AI : hospitality

How AI is shaping hospitality

With artificial intelligence advancing by the day, many industries are beginning to adopt it in some way to streamline processes.

However, one of the industries that are not so quick to hop on the AI bandwagon is hospitality.

AI in hospitality has the potential to be a game changer if used properly - let’s take a look at artificial intelligence, and how it’s influencing the hospitality industry.

How Artificial Intelligence is shaping Hospitality

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is the term used to explain the way that computers and programs learn from a collective pool of data.

In the hospitality industry, though, it’s becoming an invaluable tool in helping streamline processes and offering a better customer experience.

Hotel operations

AI has significantly impacted the check-in and check-out process in the hospitality industry. Traditionally, hotel staff were trained to verify documents, answer questions, and provide undivided attention to guests.

While this personalised approach is valuable, the introduction of AI in hospitality has made the process more efficient for everyone involved.

AI-powered solutions can automate and expedite check-in and check-out procedures, reducing wait times and minimising human errors.

Additionally, chatbots integrated with AI technology can handle common guest queries, freeing up staff to focus on more complex or personalised guest interactions. These chatbots can provide instant responses, offer 24/7 customer support, and ensure that guests receive prompt assistance and information, enhancing overall satisfaction.

Revenue management

Artificial intelligence has had a significant impact on revenue management in the hospitality industry.

AI-powered systems provide financial managers with a comprehensive overview of where funds are being spent, how quickly they’re being used, and other key financial information. This allows managers to gain valuable insights into spending patterns, optimise resource allocation, and make data-driven decisions to improve profitability.

With AI’s ability to analyse vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, financial managers can identify trends, forecast demand, and optimise pricing strategies.

On the customer side, AI in hospitality helps guests find the best deals for their stays. AI algorithms can analyse historical pricing data, availability, and guest preferences to provide personalised recommendations, ensuring guests have access to the most relevant and competitive offers, enhancing their booking experience.

Next level personalisation

The key to excellent customer experience is personalisation, and artificial intelligence offers new and unique ways to achieve this in the hospitality industry.

By leveraging AI capabilities, hotels can go beyond basic personalisation efforts.

For example, AI-powered systems can customise thank-you mailers by incorporating guests’ names, locations, and even room numbers, creating a sense of humanity and making it easier for guests to remember their stay. This level of personalisation enhances guest satisfaction and increases the likelihood of receiving helpful feedback, which is invaluable for improving services and overall guest experience.

Furthermore, AI can analyse guest preferences and behaviours, allowing hotels to offer tailored recommendations for activities, dining options, and amenities, creating a more personalised and memorable experience for each guest.

Data analytics

Data is a valuable resource in any industry, and in hospitality, it plays a crucial role in shaping the customer’s journey and overall experience.

AI enables hotels to store and analyse vast amounts of data related to guest preferences, behaviours, and demographics.

By leveraging AI algorithms, hotels can gain valuable insights into trends, patterns, and customer preferences, which can be used to optimise operations and enhance guest experiences.

For example, hotels can analyse data on nationalities to tailor their marketing and communication

efforts for specific target markets. They can also identify the most popular room types or amenities preferred by guests, enabling them to make informed decisions about room configurations and offerings. By making use of AI-driven data analytics, hotels can continually refine their services, anticipate guest needs, and create tailored experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Multilingual abilities

AI in hospitality has brought significant advancements in multilingual booking and communication, particularly for hotels that cater to international guests.

Language barriers can hinder effective communication and create friction in the guest experience.

However, with AI-powered language translation and multilingual booking systems, hotels can break down these barriers and provide seamless communication with guests from different parts of the world.

Real-time language translation capabilities enable staff to communicate with guests in their preferred language, eliminating misunderstandings and creating a sense of comfort and familiarity. This enhances the guest experience by ensuring clear and efficient communication, allowing guests to feel welcomed and understood from the moment they arrive.

Multilingual abilities powered by AI add a “wow” factor to someone’s first stay at a hotel, leaving a lasting impression and setting the stage for a positive experience.

The ability to switch languages in real-time not only facilitates smooth communication but also showcases the hotel’s commitment to inclusivity and guest satisfaction.

Guests appreciate being able to communicate in their native language, as it eliminates language barriers and allows them to express their needs and preferences more effectively.

AI-driven multilingual booking systems

further enhance the guest experience by providing a seamless and user-friendly interface where guests can easily navigate through different languages and make their bookings hassle-free.

Conclusion

AI is rapidly shaping the hospitality industry and revolutionising the way guests experience their stays.

From streamlining hotel operations through efficient check-in and check-out processes and AI-powered chatbots to optimising revenue management with data-driven insights, AI offers numerous benefits for both hotels and guests. The power of AI lies in its ability to deliver next-level personalisation, enabling hotels to tailor communication, recommendations, and services based on individual guest preferences. Additionally, AI-driven data analytics provides valuable insights that hotels can leverage to enhance their operations, anticipate guest needs, and offer a truly exceptional experience. Lastly, AI’s multilingual abilities break down language barriers, fostering effective communication and making guests feel welcome and valued.

As AI continues to advance, it holds great potential to reshape the hospitality industry, elevating guest experiences and transforming the way hotels operate. Embracing AI in hospitality is a strategic move that will undoubtedly contribute to the industry’s growth and success in the future.

Find out more from our highly skilled marketing team: klicksense.com/contact-us/

Henri Scott KlickSense klicksense.com

dtx manchester

MAGAZINE

with registrations for DTX + UCX Manchester the highest recorded since 2019.

Day two of the show commenced with World Cup winner Matt Dawson leading the keynote speeches. Also speaking was Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham who endorsed Manchester’s status as ‘The Digital Capital of the UK’ as delegates analysed team values in transformation, cyber’s central role in scaling, and finding talent in unexpected spaces.

Andy Burnham also revealed a new digital blueprint for the Greater Manchester region, announcing an educational revamp that will make IT and engineering essential components of early learning experiences and create a new system in which local talent can be nurtured and offer more routes for young people into the tech industry.

The Mayor declared the city-region was committed to improving digital literacy - a move that rugby World Cup winner and fellow keynote speaker Matt Dawson recognised.

DTX + UCX Manchester took place at Manchester Central at the end of May and Business Connect were pleased to be media partners.

As well as interest in the many high calibre tech exhibitors, the keynote speeches were keenly attended over the two day event.

On Wednesday morning the former Director General of MI5 delivered a warning to a packed audience.

“You cannot work in a vacuum,”

Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller declared during her keynote speech.

“You have got to work with others. Listening to all employees, creating diverse teams and collaborating at scale is critical.”

Baroness Eliza emphasised the need to lead by example to reinforce change - with the ex-MI5 Director General alerting the audience to the risks of “uninterested” leaders. She found during her time as Director General that you’re never lonely as a leader, as long as you don’t put yourself on a pedestal. Through taking the time to get to know all levels of the workforce, she built the camaraderie and spirit needed to carry them through difficult moments.

As businesses look to elevate and optimise digital transformation plans, prioritisation remains a hot topic, with companies keen to know how to stay at the forefront of the latest technology while remaining true to business strategy. Many leaders cautioned against rushing towards a solution, without actually having a true customer problem in mind.

This mindset was echoed throughout the show, with Adam Platt, CTO at Sykes Cottages, revealing on a keynote panel that his company had thrived through the employment of a ‘tribe structure’ by dedicating unique resources to specific areas of the business that allowed them to ‘focus and prioritise’ in a more effective way.

Johan Jegarajan, CTO of PwC also

emphasised that every part of an organisation must be underpinned by tech today, and that “the discussion is less about how a budget works, and more about the need for a budget to be digitally-led.”

The push to become cost-effective is being seen across many areas of the tech stack. In a panel on cyber security spending, Samantha Humphries, Head of Security Strategy EMEA at Exabeam, pointed out that the old attitude towards cybersafety is that “something usually has to go wrong so something can go right” - meaning it takes a breach before any budget can be allocated to security. Now, it feels like that is beginning to change. A huge number of visitors were in attendance to heed the advice -

“The people and the companies in this room are offering the opportunity for the next generation to come through,” he told the audience, reflecting on how companies should continue to utilise smarter ways of working to maximise productivity whilst never being afraid to push the limits and try new things.

“There is a significant shift in how we position the workforce at the moment, whether in sport or work, things are completely different when you look at the needs of staff,” Matt explained. He also added: “The best coach I played under told me it’s ok to make a mistake - just don’t make the same mistake twice,” explaining that working out what your strengths and weaknesses are can take a while but “if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not testing the boundaries.”

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham

Chamber elect new president

Emma referenced the new Trailblazer Devolution Deal for Greater Manchester, announced in the Spring Budget, and attendees at the Spring Assembly heard about the work that is currently taking place around the skills agenda in support of this.

and inclusion, an issue I have spoken about before and which is a passion of mine. Without this we are not a genuine community, and whilst things are improving, they can be a whole lot better.”

Vice Presidents and Christian Mancier of Gorvins appointed for his first term as Vice President.

At it’s AGM and Spring Assembly held on 28 April Greater Manchester Chamber members elected Emma Holt as its new President.

Emma takes over from Robin Phillips who served for three years and whose term saw many challenges facing the GM business community.

In her inaugural speech, Emma paid tribute to Robin for his leadership in unprecedented times and a turbulent three years. She referenced his campaign theme about Connectivity and Innovation and said that she will continue to support him going forward with this campaign as both are vital elements needed for business success in an ever-changing world.

Emma said: “The Mayor has set out clearly his ambitions for an integrated technical skills system for GM and with the work being led by the Chamber in putting the Local Skills Improvement Plan together which will influence this, for businesses in GM the possibility to get a new skills system - a better skills system - one that truly meets demand has never been better.”

She continued: “Skills are fundamental for business and for communities. It isn’t just enough to have a skilled workforce; we also must ensure that employers have access to people when the workforce needs to grow. And in turn make sure all people can get access to those jobs bringing with it the benefit of secure, well-paid employment.

“This isn’t just about upskilling young people or employees, it’s also about giving everyone an opportunity which feeds into one of my other themes around equality, diversity

For more information on how to get involved please contact Diane Elebert-Morgan: Diane.ElebertMorgan@gmchamber.co.uk 07740 196476 Visit: www.gmchamber.co.uk

Emma concluded with a reference to her 30 years’ experience in legal services businesses and most recently in higher education at Manchester Metropolitan University.

She finished with an optimistic look to the future: “With businesses being able to connect and innovate, creating new skilled jobs and everyone able to access those opportunities, we will be a better city region, a better community and a better place.”

The AGM also saw Malcolm Pike re-elected as one of the Chamber’s

Christian said: “With nearly 20 years of involvement in the Chamber, I am honoured to be appointed as a Vice President for Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. My journey began as a trainee solicitor at Stockport Breakfast Club, and I later served as Stockport Local Chamber President. Over the years I have also sat on various Chamber committees and latterly on the main board.

“As one of the UK’s largest Chambers, we are at the heart of Greater Manchester’s business community, and I eagerly look forward to supporting our members and driving the growth and success of businesses in Greater Manchester and beyond.”

Gigabit fibre means no delays, no matter how much data you transfer to the cloud. Apps using video conferencing are crystal clear and jitter-free, improving productivity for your business. Faster Britain ultrafast fibre is in your area!

Chamber President Emma Holt

Opportunities

paved the way for deeper trade and economic ties between the UK and India. As India is now the largest country in the world by population, this is a significant agreement.

The UK and India already have a

tariffs and non-tariff barriers, improve regulatory alignment and promote sustainable development.

Some of the key sectors that are expected to benefit from the FTA include:

digital skills and entrepreneurship in both countries. It will also create opportunities for UK tech firms to access the Indian market, which is one of the fastest growing digital economies in the world.

from a UK-India Free Trade Agreement

For example, £200 million of the new UK-India trade and investment deals announced in May 2021 were related to low carbon growth.

• Food and drink:

The FTA will open up new markets for UK food and drink exporters to India, which is one of the largest consumers of food and beverages in the world. It will also reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers on agricultural products, such as dairy, meat, fish and wine. For example, Loch Fyne Oysters has secured a deal worth £37 million to export its smoked salmon to India over the next five years.

• Textiles:

Indian textile companies have suffered a major disadvantage with high tariffs selling into the UK, where their immediate neighbours have tariff free access.

This agreement will level the playing field and should reduce costs to UK consumers.

The opportunities from a UK-India FTA are immense, as both countries have complementary strengths and huge potential for growth.

The FTA will not only boost bilateral trade and investment, but also strengthen strategic ties and mutual understanding between the UK and India.

The agreement will also support both countries’ recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and their transition to a greener and more resilient future.

The UK is already the second

largest exporter of services in the world and has decades long associations with Indian operations; this deal will provide significant further opportunities for this vital UK sector.

The Indian economy has transformed over the last few decades with 10 fold growth in GDP over the last 18 year and further massive anticipated growth over the rest of this decade. This is leading to rapid growth in the professional and middle class sector, which is estimated to have already reached 6 or 7 times the total population of the UK.

The opportunities in the dynamic

Useful links: gov.uk/business-and-industry/exporting gov.uk/government/publications/export-strategy-made-in-the-uk-sold-to-the-world/ made-in-the-uk-sold-to-the-world-web-version export.org.uk

britishchambers.org.uk

Indian market for UK companies are huge and growing and any reader who has not started looking at this exciting market yet, should certainly consider doing so.

Tony Goodman MBE is a successful exporter and has been doing so through a variety of different businesses. He is currently Marketing Advisor at Forest and Co who specialise in offering guidance on branding, exporting and sales: www.forestandco.com

Continued from previous page

UK’s first post-Brexit trade deals go live

From the last day in May UK businesses were able to sell to Australia and New Zealand more easily as the UK’s trade deals with the countries, the first negotiated from scratch since we left the EU, come into force.

Under the deals’ beneficial terms tariffs on all UK goods exports to Australia and New Zealand will be removed, unprecedented access to these markets for services unlocked, and red tape slashed for digital trade and work visas.

Each region and nation of the UK is expected to benefit. Tailored to the UK’s strengths, the deals are set to deliver an economic boost by driving bilateral trade up by 53% with Australia and 59% with New Zealand. The agreements could also mean reduced prices for UK consumers on favourites such as wine, Tim Tams and kiwi fruit and lowered costs on machinery parts for UK

The announcement comes after the UK, Australia and New Zealand completed their domestic ratification processes, allowing the deals to enter into force. In the UK this required primary legislation in the form of the Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill.

Business and Trade Secretary

Kemi Badenoch said: “Today is a historic moment as our first trade deals to be negotiated post-Brexit come into effect.

“Businesses up and down the country will now be able to reap the rewards of our status as an independent trading nation and seize new opportunities, driving economic growth, innovation and higher wages.”

International Trade Minister

Nigel Huddleston toured DHL’s Southern Distribution Centre near Heathrow to see off two handpicked consignments of UK goods, some of

New Zealand under the new deals.

Iconic British goods from across the country including signed Beano comics, Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky, Brighton Gin, The Cambridge Satchel Co. bags and Fever-Tree mixers are all among the items which have been sent from the UK government to the Australian and New Zealand trade ministers. Many of the items included have benefitted from the removal of tariffs under the deals.

The parcels also included an England cricket top signed by James Anderson and Emma Lamb, a Wales rugby shirt signed by the men’s team and a real tennis racket from Gray’s of Cambridge.

Minister for International Trade, Nigel Huddleston, said: “It was incredibly exciting to visit DHL to see some of the first shipments leave the UK, knowing that when they arrive Down Under they will benefit from our

“Australia and New Zealand are two of our closest friends and likeminded partners and our trade deals secure favourable terms for British exporters, removing tariffs on all UK goods and slashing red tape.”

Alongside the new trade agreement with Australia, more young Brits will benefit from life-changing opportunities Down Under thanks to the expansion of the shared Youth Mobility and Working Holiday Maker visa schemes. In July the age limit for UK applicants going to Australia will go from 30 to 35 years old, and they can stay for up to three years.

CEO of DHL Express UK Ian Wilson said: “The new free trade agreements provide businesses with a great opportunity to capitalise on the demand in these markets for British goods. We are delighted to have marked the commencement of these deals with a visit from the International Trade Minister to our

Liverpool hosts pre-Eurovision trade summit with Ukraine businesses

across different sectors and we are all delighted to be here in Liverpool.”

Chairing the event, Paul Cherpeau, chief executive of Liverpool Chamber, said: “We are proud and honoured to host this event in Liverpool on behalf of our Ukrainian friends around the world.

symbolically and practically, and is inspiring to see so many businesses finding new ways of moving forward together.

The Liverpool-Ukraine Business Summit was the first time that businesses from both countries have met face-to-face since 2018, and the first-ever bilateral meeting to have taken place in the UK outside London. It was held in recognition of the city’s role as host of Eurovision later this year.

Representatives from 17 Ukraine businesses travelled to Liverpool for the event at the Hilton Hotel, where they were joined by business and government delegates from the Liverpool City Region and across the UK for a series of presentations, panel discussion and networking lunch.

The summit was jointly organised by the Liverpool, London and Ukrainian Chambers of Commerce, the Department for Business and Trade and the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

The Department of Business and Trade estimates the total cost of reconstruction in Ukraine will be more than $411 billion and it has produced a guide to help UK businesses better understand how they can become involved in the recovery and rebuild plan.

Hennadii Boldyr, member of the Presidium Ukraine Chamber, said: “Ukraine and the rest of the world are dealing with new realities, but we have survived and we have not been left alone in the face of an enemy. The support of the UK remains crucial in that effort.

“Our delegation comprises entrepreneurs who have managed to save their businesses, keep hold of their production equipment and teams and continued to keep their promises to customers. They are now exploring new markets for growth

“The business summit is a unique opportunity for businesses from the UK and Ukraine to stand together and discuss a variety of investment and supply chain opportunities, both now and in a post-war Ukraine. We are united in spirit and united in business.”

James Watkins, head of policy and public impact at London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said:

“The UK and Ukraine share strong economic and cultural ties that present magnificent opportunities for both the countries to collaborate in areas of entrepreneurship.

“This is an important event, both

“I am delighted that Liverpool, London and Ukrainian business communities have come together ahead of an iconic occasion such as Eurovision. “Both the Liverpool and London Chambers are committed to supporting Ukraine and can and will be the bridge between Ukraine and the global economy going forward.” Ukraine Minister-Counsellor Denys Demchenko said: “We are privileged to be here in Liverpool and to work with UK businesses to find new partnerships in very difficult times. Our goal is to create a prosperous and self-reliant European nation and the UK is very well positioned to play a leading role in supporting that process and accelerate future Ukrainian prosperity.”

&out about

Business Connect Magazine support Liverpool Chamber networking.

supported BITA’s monthly networking event on the third Thursday of each month at the Clayton Hotel Manchester.

BITA Social Manchester - Eventbrite for details, or visit Bita.ie

May 25th saw over 140 members and guests attend the invitationonly Leeds Business Catalyst Club Lunch where many took not only the lunchtime event to discuss business opportunities and deals but carried on networking until the late afternoon and evening.

The event featured two companies pitching for investment and Guest Speaker Stevie Ward – a former professional Rugby League player and part of the golden generation at the Leeds Rhinos.

Stevie is now a Speaker, a Sky Sports pundit and the founder of Mantality.

The Lunch also raised £850 through its voluntary Charity Draw which on this occasion was donated to Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Liverpool Chamber: liverpoolchamber.org.uk

L-R Brendon Kenny, Paul Mirage, Dónall Caherty

L-R Stevie Ward, Henry Shiers of Investec (Charity Draw Winner) and Business Catalyst Club Director Graham Shiers

L-R Howard Rushfirth, Paul Mirage and Kathryn Rushfirth

managed IT

Protecting your Practice: Why IT support and security is crucial for Accountancy Practices

As someone who runs an accountancy practice, you know the value of your clients’ personal and financial information.

You have the responsibility to keep it safe from cybercriminals who use sophisticated methods to access it.

Unfortunately, accountancy practices are a prime target for these cybercriminals. A single cyber-attack can cause significant financial and reputational damage to your business.

The importance of Cyber Security in an Accountancy Practice

• Since 2020 the threat of a cyber-attack has risen by 450%.

• The average time to retrieve data being 73 days.

• The costs to recover from an attack can often be in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. (Data put together by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport last year shows that data breaches with material outcomes (where sensitive data, information or money was lost) cost medium and large businesses around £19,400 – up from £13,400 the year previous).

The financial implications of a data breach are severe, but the reputational damage is equally harmful. Losing the trust of your clients and the community can be challenging to recover from. Hence,

Cyber Security should be a top priority for any accountancy practice.

• A Harris Poll survey commissioned by IBM found that 75% of consumers refuse to buy products from companies they “don’t trust… to protect their data.”

• Cost of a Data Breach Report 2022, loss of further business after a data breach cost companies an average £1.14 million.

How does Managed IT and Cyber Security help?

Choosing a Managed IT provider allows you to outsource your IT needs to a third-party provider who specialises in Cyber Security. This includes services such as network security, Pen testing, antivirus software, data backup and recovery, and 24/7 monitoring – all working towards the end goal of making you cyber safe and avoiding all the negatives associated with a breach or malicious attack.

Key Benefits

• One of the most significant benefits of Managed IT services is proactive Cyber Security. With 24/7 monitoring, potential cyber threats are identified and addressed before they can cause damage. This ensures that your business is always protected, and your sensitive data is secure. Proactive Cyber Security measures are critical in today’s digital age, where cyber

threats are continually evolving.

• Another benefit of Managed IT services is enhanced data protection. Data backup and recovery services ensure that your data is secure, even in the event of a cyber-attack or natural disaster. Losing your data can be catastrophic for your accountancy practice, and data backup and recovery services provide the peace of mind that your data is always secure.

• Finally, outsourcing your IT needs to a third-party provider can be more cost-effective than hiring full-time IT staff. This allows you to save on the costs of hiring, training, and retaining employees while still receiving high-quality IT services.

Your IT support and Cyber Assurance experts

Managed IT service providers such as ourselves often specialise in Cyber Security in the modern day, as these threats continue to increase in many industries, including accountancy. A specialist provider can understand the unique challenges that accountancy firms face in protecting their data and have developed technology to meet those needs. Examples of how a Managed IT service provider could assist you would be:

• A comprehensive range of services to keep your business secure. Offering network security, data backup and recovery, and 24/7 monitoring to ensure that your accountancy firm is protected from cyber threats.

• Networking security services including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and security audits. We work closely with you to identify potential vulnerabilities in your system and create a

customised security plan that meets your specific needs.

• Data backup and recovery services are essential in the event of a cyber-attack or natural disaster. Managed IT service providers can ensure that your data is secure and that it can be quickly restored in the event of data loss.

• 24/7 monitoring services provides around-the-clock protection for your accountancy practice. Managed IT service provider experts will monitor your network for potential threats, identifies vulnerabilities, and responds to any Cyber Security incidents quickly. This will keep your accountancy firm protected from the latest Cyber Security threats, providing peace of mind to you and your clients.

At Nybble, we believe that every accountancy practice is unique and needs to be protected, and as a result offer all of the services listed above. We work closely with you to understand your specific needs and provide customised Cyber Security solutions that meet those needs. Our team of experts have years of experience in providing IT support and cybersecurity services to accountancy practices. Contact us by calling 0330 002 0886 or emailing enquiries@nybble.co.uk

staff retention

9 things employers can do to look after their staff during the cost of living crisis

As the cost of living crisis continues, employers must recognise the importance of supporting their employees during these challenging times.

From both a business and human perspective. Financial stress can significantly impact employee wellbeing, job satisfaction, and productivity. As a result, many organisations are taking steps to provide support and alleviate some of the financial concerns faced by their staff.

Beyond being morally right to support employees during times of economic hardship, there are also business benefits.

Employee performance experts

at Weekly10 summated their 9 tips so that businesses can support their employees during tough economic times:

1. Focus on employee engagement

Employee engagement is the foundation for any successful business – whether there’s a cost of living crisis or not. When employees feel connected to their work, peers, and company mission, they’re more likely to find meaning in their work. They feel like they are contributing to a bigger purpose, which can boost their sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. Engaged employees are also more likely to be motivated and productive, leading to a sense of achievement and personal growth.

High levels of engagement can lead to greater job security. Engaged employees are more committed to their work and company, which can make them more likely to stay with the organisation. This, in turn, can provide greater stability and a sense of security.

2. Prioritise employee wellbeing

Managers, leaders, and HR have a moral responsibility to look out for their employees. This is especially true during the cost-of-living crisis because they’re likely to be facing higher levels of stress at work and at home.

Unsurprisingly, job losses, financial uncertainty, falling engagement, and increased productivity are a bad recipe for employee wellbeing. But

wellbeing is more than just how happy someone seems. It’s about finding a good balance because healthy employees = healthy business.

3. Be transparent with employees

Honesty and openness create a sense of psychological safety that is essential during times of crisis. It’s important for leaders and managers to be transparent at work. When leaders admit to negative situations or acknowledge uncertainty, employees feel safer and more secure. If you can’t afford to give the usual bonus or annual pay rise, be honest. Tell employees how you do plan to support them during a cost of living crisis.

4. Look to build resilience

Your people are a secret weapon to thriving in tough times. Support your people and they will support you. But bosses must do the groundwork to help their employees learn healthy mechanisms to develop their own resilience.

Resilience is how you handle difficult situations. Often described as the ability to bounce back and carry-on during adversity. Having a resilient workforce has huge benefits. Your people can deal with change and are less susceptible to burnout. It drives motivation and improves employees’ overall health. That’s because resilience and workplace wellbeing are linked.

5. Foster a future focus

A growth mindset helps employees to future-gaze constructively. This

promotes openness to change and adaptation and enables healthy responses to challenges and problems. This is linked closely to being resilient.

Critical thinking and accountability are important here. It requires stopping and thinking logically, rather than being swayed by emotions. It also means being human: admit you don’t know everything and ask questions to learn more.

6. Develop healthy relationships

During the cost of living crisis, employees may feel stressed and isolated, which can negatively impact their mental health and overall wellbeing. By developing healthy work relationships, employers can create a supportive and collaborative environment that helps employees feel more connected and engaged in their work.

When employees have positive relationships with their colleagues, they are more likely to feel motivated and engaged in their work, which can lead to increased productivity and better job satisfaction.

7. Support your physical wellbeing

Physical health is closely linked to mental and emotional health. Although physical fitness is personal, companies can take steps to support their employees’ physical health and wellbeing.

In the UK, an estimated 141.4 million working days were lost due to sickness or injury.

8. Provide personal and professional development

Personal and professional development is crucial for employees during a cost of living crisis as it helps them to adapt to changes, remain productive, and advance their careers while also building resilience.

Investing in an employee’s personal and professional development is a way of recognising an employee’s value. Empoyers can use development as an alternative to increasing basic salary or offering a bonus, which lose their effectiveness quickly anyway. Setting clear and actionable steps will make building resilience feel more tangible, and prevent it from feeling overwhelming.

9. How to encourage employees to learn new skills

New skills help employees to adapt to changes in the workplace. In a cost of living crisis, companies may need to make changes to stay afloat, and employees who can adapt to these changes will be more valuable. This can open up new career opportunities for staff. This is particularly important when job opportunities may be limited. Emphasise how new skills support future job security. Employees who are constantly developing their skills are more likely to be retained. Companies may prioritise retaining employees who have the skills and knowledge needed to navigate challenging times. Developing resilience is important during difficult times. Employees who have a growth mindset and are constantly learning and developing new skills are better equipped to handle the challenges that come with a cost of living crisis.

Chris Shenton weekly10 weekly10.com

diary dates

BITA (British and Irish Trading Alliance)

BITA online every Friday

8.00am - 9.00am

Cost FREE until further notice

Live face to face events:

BITA London Monthly Social Networking

14 Jun 6.00pm - 8.00pm, every 2nd Weds

Venue The Rising Sun, 61 Carter Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4V 5DY

Cost FREE

BITA Liverpool Monthly Social Networking

13 Jul 5.00pm - 7.00pm, every 2nd Thurs

Venue Gaucho, 7 Water Street, Liverpool L2 0RD

Cost FREE

BITA Leeds Monthly Social Networking

14 Jun 6.00pm - 8.00pm, every 2nd Weds

Venue Banyan Bar & Kitchen, Toronto Sq, 2 City Square, Leeds LS1 2ES

Cost FREE

BITA Manchester Monthly Social Networking

15 Jun 5.00pm - 7.00pm, every 3rd Thurs

Venue Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre, 55 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3HP

Cost FREE

BITA Construction Networking Lunch

7 Jul 11.30am - 4.30pm

Venue The Royal Horseguards Hotel, One Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2EJ

Cost £180+VAT (discounted tickets for BITA members)

Contact Paul Whitnell paulw@bita.ie Laura laura@bita.ie www.bita.ie

BNI Graphene Manchester

Weekly every Weds - includes hot lunch

10.00am - 12.30pm

Venue BOX Deansgate, 125 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BY

Cost FREE for visitors

Contact John Galloway 07971 161621

Business Fairs 2023

Annual business fairs across Northern venues. Free to visit, all sectors welcome to exhibit

Greater Manchester Business Fair

6 Jul 10.30am - 3.00pm

Venue AJ Bell Stadium, 1 Stadium Way Barton-upon-Irwell, Salford M30 7LJ

Contact manchesterbizfair.co.uk

Wirral & Chester Business Fair

20 Sep 10.30am - 3.00pm

Venue New Brighton Floral Pavillion, Marine Promenade, New Brighton, Wallasey CH45 2JS

Contact wirralbizfair.co.uk

Halton & Warrington Business Fair

9 Nov 10.30am - 3.00pm

Venue DCBL Stadium Halton, Lower House Lane, Widnes WA8 7DZ

Contact haltonbizfair.co.uk

Contact Tony Haines 0151 709 8932 tony@liverpoolba.com

Business Connect Magazine are media partners

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Business Catalyst Club

Manchester and Leeds Networking Lunches Invitation only. Contact host for details

Costs, Timings, Venues and booking detailscontact organisers below:

Contact Graham Shiers 07818 675 310 www.businesscatalystclub.co.uk

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Cumbria Business Expo 2023

1 Day Business Expo from Shout Expo

22 Sep 2023 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue Carlisle Racecourse, Durdar Road, Carlisle CA2 4TS

Cost FREE (pre-registration required).

Contact shoutexpo.com

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FM North

Networking event for professionals in the FM, Cleaning and Construction Sector

4th Weds of each month

28 Jun 4.00pm - 9.00pm

Venue The Lawn Club, Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3HG

Cost FREE

Contact danny.cross@tennantco.com Tickets through allevents.in

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GC Business Growth Hub

Events and Networking. BGH Match

4 July 9.30am - 11.30am

Venue Bury Town Hall - Elizabethan Suite, Knowsley Place, Knowsley Street, Bury BL9 0ST

Cost all events and networking FREE

Contact nick.shepherd@growthco.uk businessgrowthhub.com/match

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

Events, support, updates, revues, networking

Life Sciences Seminar

13 Jun 8.30am - 11.00am

Venue Elliot House, 151 Deansgate Manchester M3 3WD

Cost £20 (£10 for members)

Stockport Summer Social and BBQ

22 Jun 3.30pm - 6.00pm

Venue The Light Stockport, Redrock, Unit 10 Bridgefield Street, Stockport SK1 1SA

Cost £28 (£20 for members)

Property and Construction Lunch

23 Jun 12noon - 2.30pm

Venue Elliot House, 151 Deansgate Manchester M3 3WD

Cost £50 (£30 for members)

Q2 Economic Review

27 Jun 8.30am - 10.30am

Venue Elliot House, 151 Deansgate Manchester M3 3WD

Cost £15 (FREE for members)

Bolton Summer Social and BBQ

6 Jul 5.30pm - 7.30pm

Venue Vertu Jaguar Land Rover Bolton, Kay Street, Bolton BL1 2RX

Cost £10 (£5 for members)

Contact Diane Elebert-Morgan 07740 196476

Diane.ElebertMorgan@gmchamber.co.uk gmchamber.co.uk

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High Peak Business Club

Regular monthly breakfast networking with high calibre speakers

16 Jun “Be careful what you do with that...” with Charles Oakley 7.30am - 10.00am

Venue Chapel en le Frith Golf Club, Manchester Road, Chapel en le Frith, High Peak SK23 9UH

Cost £25

Contact edwinacurrie@sky.com highpeakbusinessclub.co.uk

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K-Club

Networking Breakfast and Lunches for Entrepreneurs

Monthly (please see website)

Venue Manchester based

Contact Amanda Manson 07754 069 829 k-club.co.uk

Liverpool City Region

Business Expo 2023

1 Day Business Expo from Shout Expo

9 Jun 2023 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue Exhibition Centre, King’s Dock, Port of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 4FP

Cost FREE (pre-registration required). Contact shoutexpo.com

Business Connect Magazine are media partners

MBH Business Networking

Business networking

19 Jul 2.00pm - 4.00pm

Venue Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, Portland Street, Manchester M1 4PH

Cost FREE

Contact kyle@mpostcode.co.uk manchesterevents.mpostcode.co.uk

Northwest Business Expo 2023

1 Day Business Expo from Shout Expo

6 Oct 2023 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue Bolton Stadium Hotel, De Havilland Way, Bolton BL6 6SF

Cost FREE (pre-registration required).

Contact shoutexpo.com

Business Connect Magazine are media partners

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pro-manchester

Hot topic breakfasts, Sector lunches, Economic updates, Panel debates

Full programme of events available online

Contact Nicola McCormick 07929 671755 nicola.mccormick@pro-manchester.co.uk pro-manchester.co.uk

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Shout Network

Fortnightly networking. Breakfast or lunch included. Venues across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Liverpool.

Blackburn Friday at 8.00am

Blackburn Rovers Football Club BB2 4JF

Blackpool Friday at 12.00noon

Hampton by Hilton, Blackpool FY4 1NG

Bolton Tuesday at 9.30am

Dunscar Golf Club BL7 9QY

Bolton Wednesday at 8.00am

Bolton Stadium Hotel BL6 6SF

Burnley Thursday at 9.30am

Burnley Football Club BB10 4BX

Burnley Friday at 9.30am

Burnley Football Club BB10 4BX

Bury Tuesday 9.30am

Red Hall Hotel BL9 5NA

Chorley Thursday at 9.30am

Hartwood Hall PR6 7AX

Leyland Thursday at 9.30am

Leyland Golf Club PR25 5UD

Liverpool Friday at 12.00noon

Delta Hotels by Marriott L1 1RH

Manchester Wednesday at 12.00noon

Worsley Park Marriott Hotel M28 2QT

Manchester Friday at 12:00noon

Universal Square M12 6JH

Preston Tuesday at 9.30am

Shout Connect HQ PR2 2YF

Preston Wednesday at 9.00am

Shout Connect HQ PR2 2YF

Preston Friday at 12.00noon

Shout Connect HQ PR2 2YF

South Ribble at 9:30am

Civic Centre Leyland PR25 1NS

Southport Wednesday at 12.00noon

Waterfront Southport Hotel PR9 0DZ

Wigan Wednesday at 12.00noon

Gathurst Golf Club WN6 8EW

Wrea Green Friday at 8.00am

The Villa Wrea Green PR4 2PE

Fortnightly networking is on a sector lock-out basis. Please contact Shout for further information. Costs also vary.

Contact 01772 935930 info@shoutnetwork.co.uk shoutnetwork.co.uk

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The Business Network Manchester Business networking lunch - inc seminars. Online networking

20 Jun 11.50am - 1.30pm seminar 12.10pm - 12.30pm)

Cost FREE

22 Jun 11.50am - 2.00pm

(Optional seminar 10.00am start)

Venue Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre, 55 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3HP

Cost £49.95

20 Jul 11.50am - 2.00pm

(Optional seminar 10.00am start)

Venue Hyatt Regency, 55 Booth Street West, Manchester M15 6PQ

Cost £49.95

Contact Helen Bennett 0161 823 1384 helen@business-network.co.uk business-network.co.uk

The Business Network South Manchester + Chester Business networking lunch - inc seminars.

(S Mcr) 6 Jul + 7 Sep 11.30am - 2.00pm

(Optional seminar 10.30am start)

Venue The Pinewood on Wilmslow, 180 Wilmslow Road, Handforth SK9 3LF

(Chester) 12 Jul 11.30am - 2.00pm

(Optional seminar 10.30am start)

Venue Rossett Hall, Chester Road, Rossett, Wrexham LL12 0DE

(Joint event) 9 Aug 11.30am - 2.00pm

(Optional seminar 10.30am start)

Venue Forest Hills Hotel, Overton Hill, Frodsham WA6 6HH

(Chester) 13 Sep 11.30am - 2.00pm

(Optional seminar 10.30am start)

Venue DoubleTree by Hilton Warrington Road, Hoole, Chester CH2 3PD

(S Mcr) 5 Oct 11.30am - 2.00pm

(Optional seminar 10.30am start)

Venue The Tytherington Club, 90 Dorchester Way, Tytherington, Macclesfield SK10 2JP

Cost £50.00

Contact Simon Edmondson 07766 493428

Simon.Edmondson@business-network.co.uk business-network.co.uk

Third Thursday Club

Networking purely for construction and property attendees. Every third thurs.

15 Jun, 20 Jul 12noon - 2.00pm

Venue East 59th, Victoria Gate, 3rd Floor Rooftop, George St, Leeds LS2 7AU

Cost Invitation only - please enquire

Contact Rachel Shaw rachel@ad-hoc-admin.co.uk

Please note If you plan to attend any of the above events please ensure all details are correct in advance. Whilst every effort has been made to confirm accuracy some details may be subject to change.

Don’t forget your business cards!

places to meet

Chamber Space

Meeting and Conference Facilities, Hourly rates, 4-160 capacity, Full venue capacity 400, range of catering options, unlimited tea/coffee with room hire Elliot House, 151 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3WD chamberspace@gmchamber.co.uk

0161 393 4321 gmchamber.co.uk/chamber-space

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Cottons Hotel & Spa

10 minutes to Manchester Airport, 138 bedrooms, 13 meeting rooms capacity 200 delegates, 3 dining areas, AA Rosette awarded terrace restaurant Manchester Road, Knutsford WA16 0SU

victoriaseddon@cottonshotel.co.uk

01565 600333 www.cottonshotel.co.uk

DoubleTree By Hilton Manchester Airport

230 bedrooms, 11 meeting rooms, restaurant and bar, 24Hr gym, On-site parking, airport shuttle Outwood Lane, Manchester M90 4WP

cheryl.garnett@dtmanchesterairport.com

0161 435 3000 www.hilton.com/manchesterairport

Go Serviced Offices

Meeting room, Free WiFi, Free parking, Free refreshments, Lounge and seated garden area, Capacity for 6 people

Ground Floor, Prospect House, Columbus Quay, Liverpool L3 4DB charlotte@gogreenofficesolutions.com

07494 090 373 www.goservicedoffices.co.uk

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Hollinwood

Business Centre

Meeting rooms, Free hi-speed wifi, Free Parking, Café, Touch screen TV, 60 people capacity

Albert Street, Hollinwood, Oldham OL8 3QL

walter.urquhart@bizspace.co.uk

0161 511 9450 www.bizspace.co.uk

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Hotel Brooklyn

Bed and breakfast, Cosy meeting rooms, Large banquet space, Accessible rooms, Designed for disabled guests

59 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3HP khealey@bespokehotels.com 0161 518 2936 www.hotelbrooklyn.co.uk

Incspaces

Meeting rooms, Office space, Free Wi-Fi, Event space, Co-working, Capacity 1 - 50

2 Mount Street , Manchester M2 5WQ

joanna.pawlikowski@incspaces.co.uk 07717 191851 incspaces.co.uk

Manchester Central Convention Centre

Large and small scale conferences, Meeting rooms, Event spaces, Central location

Petersfield, Manchester M2 3GX sales@manchestercentral.co.uk

0161 834 2700

www.manchestercentral.co.uk

Marriott Hotel

Manchester Airport

Brasserie Blanc Bar & Restaurant, San Carlo Bar & Restaurant, Executive lounge, 2 Function spaces (140 and 50 capacities), Courtyard (private outdoor dining)

Hale Road, Hale Barns, Manchester WA15 8XW

chris.pilling@marriott.com

07881 312158

manchesterairportmarriott.co.uk

Marriott Manchester

Victoria and Albert Hotel

148 bedrooms and suites, 9 meeting and event rooms with capacity for 240 people theatre style, Restaurant and bar, South facing terrace, Private dining, Business centre Water Street, St John’s, Manchester M3 4AW askus@thevanda.co.uk

0161 832 1188

www.marriott.com/manva

Marriott Hotel

Liverpool City Centre

Brew Bar (food and drinks), Oliviers breakfast restaurant, Merchant Bar (private bar/event space), 2 Function spaces (240 and 50 capacities)

One Queen Square, Liverpool L1 1RH chris.pilling@marriott.com 07881 312158

liverpoolmarriott.co.uk

Orega Arkwright House

Crompton (seats 10) and Hargreaves (seats 8) meeting rooms, both come with Free WiFi, Clevertouch screens, Video Conferencing, Catering (extra cost)

Parsonage Gardens, Manchester M3 2LF reception.arkwright@orega.com 0161 667 8100

orega.com/manchester-arkwright-house

Regus Digital World

Meeting rooms of various sizes, Free hi-speed WiFi, Central location, Beautiful roof terrace

1 Lowry Plaza, The Quays, Salford M50 3UB uk.meetingrooms@regus.com 0161 601 7700

www.regus.com

Regus King Street

Meeting rooms for 4, 10 and 12 people, Free wifi, Kitchen amenities, City centre location, 24 hour access

82 King Street, Manchester M2 4WQ manchester.kingstreet@regus.com 0161 935 8000 www.myregus.com ---------------------------------------

Regus Spinningfields

Fully serviced, private meeting rooms, Free high-speed broadband, whiteboards, TV/projector, refreshments, Meeting rooms of varying sizes

10th Floor, 3 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3HF uk.meetingrooms@regus.com 0800 279 7131 www.regus.com

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Regus St James Tower

Meeting rooms of various sizes, Hi-speed WiFi, Central location and good traffic links

7 Charlotte Street, Manchester M1 4DZ uk.meetingrooms@regus.com 0161 521 9800 www.regus.com

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Regus Trafford Park

10 person, 6 person and 4 person meeting rooms, Free WiFi, Free Parking, Close to Motorway 4th Floor, Centenary House, 1 Centenary Way, Manchester M5O 1RF manchester.traffpark@regus.com 0161 504 2500 www.regus.com

SPACES Deansgate

Boardroom style meeting rooms, Presentation style training room, On-site Deli, Parking (chargeable), Hi-speed WiFi, Cycle store 125 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BY uk.meetingrooms@regus.com 0161 519 2000 www.spacesworks.com

Leeds Marriott Hotel

Events space, Executive Lounge, Bar & Grill, Executive Rooms and Suites, 17 Meeting and Event Spaces

4 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane Leeds LS1 6ET zoe.hands@marriott.com 01132 366366 www.leedsmarriott.com

Worsley Park Marriott Hotel

Restaurant and Bar, 9 Meeting rooms, Leisure club & Gym, 18 Hole Golf Course Walkden Road, Manchester M28 2QT libby.blackwell@marriotthotels.com 0161 975 2000 www.marriottworsleypark.co.uk

If you currently have the printed edition of Business Connect Magazine available at your venue and you’d like to feature in our Places to Meet section please contact Paul Mirage at paul@businessconnectpublishing.co.uk

If you’d like to host our magazine at your site and feature on this page please contact Paul.